Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Week of June 11, 2023

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

Host Bulletin, Week of June 11, 2023

Fund Drive

It's the final push! We have only four days left to reach our goal. If you haven't donated yet or if you want to make another donation, click here to Donate via PayPal. To make a donation by check, please send it to ThinkTech Hawaii, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 603, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. Please spread the word about our fund drive to your networks and followers as well. We depend on everyone's donations to keep your shows on the air. Thanks so much for supporting our collective efforts on ThinkTech.

  DONATE  

Ad Hoc v. Regular Hosts

What we call Ad Hoc Hosts do not have a regular interval or spot. If you are an Ad Hoc Host you can schedule episodes at your convenience and the convenience of your guests.  Go to https://calendly.com/thinktechhawaii/30min to schedule a production date.

Regular Hosts, on the other hand, have a regular time, day and interval on the production calendar. If you are a Regular Host and you want to reschedule your production time or day for a particular episode, or add an extra episode, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Once  an episode, hosted by either a Regular Host or an Ad Hoc host, has been produced and uploaded, we’ll send you the link and the airdate for that episode so you can advise your networks and followers.

Reading Text

If you have notes, put them in a word-processing document or notepad window on your screen as near as possible to the camera so you can maintain eye contact with the audience. Avoid reading lengthy scripts, quotes or citations (articles, statistics, biographies, etc.).  That will bore everyone. Slides with succinct bullet points, however, can be helpful. 

Promotion Tip

Do you respond to comments that are posted on your shows on YouTube and other platforms?  You should. Engaging personally when appropriate enhances the viewer experience and encourages greater viewership.  Even a simple “thank you” is an important extra step that can leverage your shows and create longtime followers.

Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows. See our equipment suggestions at https://thinktechhawaii.com/equipment-suggestions-2/.

Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Week of June 4, 2023

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

Host Bulletin, Week of June 4, 2023

Slides

Avoid using excessive text or graphics. The clutter can make slides illegible. They should be minimalistic and complement, not repeat, your spoken words.  This allows your audience to focus on the key messages. We strongly advise the 5x5 rule; NMT 5 bullet points per slide, with NMT 5 words each. Watch this episode with award-winning videographer Larry Jordan for more tips:  https://youtu.be/MU8LYOF-ft0.

Preparing Guests

Prepare your guests for the show by sending them the Appearance Guidelines and Graphics Guidelines when you first recruit them. Last-minute back-and-forth emails from uninformed guests is stressful for everyone, and we may have to reschedule the episode if their video or audio is not up to our production standards. Sending the guidelines to your guests before you complete your show information gives them more time to prepare themselves.

Writing Show Information

Run-on sentences can confuse readers and make it challenging for them to understand your writing. Use appropriate punctuation, conjunctions and sentence structure to break down long sentences. This improves the clarity, readability and impact of your writing.

Clean Lens

Dust, fingerprints and smudges on your camera lens  will produce blurry video. Take a moment and  clean your camera lens regularly for clear and professional video quality.

Promotion Tip

Reach new audiences through cross-promotion!  If ThinkTech Hosts from other shows are on your show, or if your episode is related to another show's theme, mention that other host and show. Promoting each other will predictably expand both of your audiences.

Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows. See our equipment suggestions at https://thinktechhawaii.com/equipment-suggestions-2/.

Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Week of May 28, 2023

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

Host Bulletin, Week of May 28, 2023

Fund Drive

We still have a way to go for our Spring 2023 Fund Drive.  Of course, the drive keeps your shows and this platform running. Please donate to our drive through this link, the QR code below, or by mail to ThinkTech Hawaii, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 603, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. Share it with your guests, friends, family and colleagues. Every donation, big or small, helps.

Guest Bios

Of course, you want to introduce your guests when you start the show, but that introduction should be short, a couple of sentences.  If you recite a lengthy bio, you will lose your viewers.  You can mention bio information, when appropriate, during the show, dropping a point here and there to inform your viewers, but avoid a long recitation.

Talking Over

Although it’s important to moderate the discussion as a host, repeatedly talking over or interrupting can seem inconsiderate and hinder the conversation. You might tell them in advance to hold their comments down to a few minutes so you can move on to the next point of discussion.  If they nevertheless go on too long, or if you find that they are repeating their comments, try a soft interruption once or twice, and that should get them to stop.

Lighting

Make sure your camera is at eye level and that your light source is in front of you. Avoid lighting from behind you or directly above you - that will cast shadows on your face. If you wear glasses, look at your image in your Zoom window and if necessary adjust the light or your glasses to avoid a direct reflection on your glasses.

Promotion Tip

Ask viewers to subscribe to ThinkTech Hawaii's YouTube channel by clicking this link or the SUBSCRIBE button on https://www.youtube.com/thinktechhawaii. If they click the bell, YouTube will send them a link for each new ThinkTech program that has been uploaded. 

Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows. See our equipment suggestions at https://thinktechhawaii.com/equipment-suggestions-2/.

Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.